Abstract: Apparatus for harvesting mature pyrethrum flowers comprises a mobile chassis movable through a field of growing flowers and having a pair of drums rotatable in opposite directions about vertically spaced axes. Each of the drums has a plurality of longitudinally extending, radially projecting, circumferentially spaced flutes which confront one another momentarily during rotation of the drums. The vertical spacing between the axes of the drum is such that there exists a space between confronting flutes that is too great to sever an immature flower from its stem, but is sufficiently small to sever a mature flower from its stem. An air duct communicating with a fan receives severed flowers and conducts them to a storage bin.

Abstract: Apparatus for harvesting pyrethrum flowers comprises a rotary picking head within which are mounted picking fingers reciprocable between retracted and projected positions. The fingers are spaced apart a distance to enable mature blooms to be severed from their stems. The picking head is partially enclosed by a shroud that communicates via ducting with a bin. An air stream is created within the shroud and ducting to cause picked blooms to be conveyed from the picking head to the bin.